BELLA BELEN further stamped her stature as the country’s best collegiate volleyball player today, winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum as National University (NU) completed a three-peat in the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-Season Championship.
Just months after winning her second MVP award in the UAAP, Ms. Belen added another crown to her growing list of trophy case by towing NU to 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-20 win over rival De La Salle University in Game 2 to complete a finals sweep over the weekend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ms. Belen followed the back-to-back MVP citations of Alyssa Solomon in the Lady Bulldogs’ first two championships via sweep.
NU at one point had a 28-game winning run but La Salle snapped it in the elimination rounds this season before the Lady Bulldogs gained a sweet revenge in the biggest stage.
Ms. Belen, the UAAP Rookie-MVP in Season 84 was also hailed as the Best Outside Spiker with Ms. Solomon clinching the Best Opposite Spiker for the third straight year.
Other awardees included Angge Poyos (2nd Best Outside Spiker) of fourth-placer University of Santo Tomas, Amie Provido (1st Best Middle Blocker) of runner-up La Salle, Jaz Ellarina (2nd Best Middle Blocker) of bronze medalist Far Eastern University, NU’s Shaira Jardio (Best Libero) and Lams Lamina (Best Setter).
Now, the Lady Bulldogs shift their focus to a title repeat bid in the UAAP with celebrated mentor Sherwin Meneses at helm and who did not disappoint in his NU debut tourney. — John Bryan Ulanday
